It has been recognized in the industry and by the public in general that conveyor belts used in store checkouts (e.g., grocery stores, home good stores, etc.) can be a source of contamination of foods or other purchased items, due to the large number items that are in physical contact with the conveyor belt. For example, food products, cleaners, medicines, chemical products (e.g., glues, adhesives, polishes, etc.) may come in contact with the conveyor belt surfaces. Additionally, individuals may also touch, sneeze, or drool on the belt, which may lead to direct exposure to various diseases. However, the conveyor belt is not easily removed and cleaning is typically not performed on a regular basis. Accordingly, this can lead to both real and perceived dangers of contamination from the conveyor belt.
Several systems have tried to address conveyor belt cleaning and sanitizing. For example, U.S. Patent Publication 2010/0243410 discloses a cleaning system with a hollow porous roller situated on the obscured or return loop side of the conveyor belt, out of sight of the top or conveying surface of the belt. A perforated rod, positioned within the hollow porous roller, contains a cleaning and sanitizing solution, dispensable through a series of perforations in the rod. The cleaning and sanitizing solution is distributed via a pump from a tank reservoir.
However, the prior solutions for cleaning and sanitizing conveyor belts, such as that discussed above, are complicated costly to add conveyor belt assembly. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a cleaning system that can be added to both new and existing conveyor belt systems.